Canadian ‘crypto king’ case to go to jury as criminal trial winds down
Aiden Pleterski, facing fraud charges in Canada over his alleged role in a digital asset Ponzi scheme, said that he was innocent at closing.
Canadian "crypto king" Aiden Pleterski, at the close of his criminal trial, maintained his innocence in a fraud case involving $30 million allegedly stolen from his social media followers between 2021 and 2022. The jury, after receiving final instructions on Thursday, will begin deliberations on Pleterski's fate. Pleterski, who chose to represent himself in court, was charged with fraud in 2024, having remained under investigation for over two years.
Should he be found guilty, the maximum sentence he faces is 14 years in prison. Pleterski is among the prominent figures in the crypto industry implicated in fraud allegations, with others already convicted, such as former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, currently serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. Five individuals, including some perceived as victims of Pleterski's scheme, were charged with kidnapping and torturing the "crypto king" in 2022. One of them, Deren Akyeam-Pong, pleaded guilty to nine charges and awaits sentencing.
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